FA in no hurry to appoint coach as Curbishley comes into focus

The Football Association admitted yesterday to having started to interview contenders for the post of England manager, but said that much remains to be done before Sven-Goran Eriksson's successor is named. Some of the candidates, in any case, may not be in a position to give a rapid answer. Despite Friday's meeting between the FA chief executive Brian Barwick and Charlton's manager Alan Curbishley, Martin O'Neill is still thought to be the favourite, yet while he continues to await further medical news regarding his wife's illness a definitive response to the FA would be impossible.

"The only timescale we are going to hold ourselves to is that we aim to have the manager in place before the World Cup," said the FA spokesman Adrian Bevington. He would not confirm that Curbishley is the only person spoken to so far and preferred to describe him purely as the "first person to have been photographed". Indeed, one report yesterday suggested that the Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce had also been spoken to.

Pictures in yesterday's Sunday Mirror showed Curbishley going into a meeting at his brother's house in west London with Barwick last Friday. His brother Bill is manager of The Who. "I wouldn't even describe these meetings as interviews," said Bevington. "We are certainly not in a position to say who the favourite is, but what I do know is that no decision has been taken yet." Given that Barwick is now being followed by the paparazzi, the FA can expect continuing revelations.

Curbishley said last night: "It was, and I stress, a very, very informal chat. It was no interview. For me, it was an opportunity to see the face behind the name and for them to see me. We will have to see if it progresses, I do not think there was a shortlist, there may be a very long list." The FA, however, have already managed to offend Charlton who, while admitting they had given permission to talk to Curbishley, were aggrieved that the FA issued a statement about the meeting without clearing it with the club. "We have unequivocally respected the Football Association's specific request not to disclose that permission had been sought or given and we are disappointed [it] issued a statement last night without making contact with any official of our club," Charlton said.

While the FA will operate at its own pace, O'Neill is one individual on a longish shortlist. At PSV Eindhoven, Guus Hiddink plans to speak to the club this month about his future, though that could mean him staying on in a different role. While there has been a waning of interest in overseas candidates, they cannot be disregarded. Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Portugal manager who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, has signalled his interest and his cause may well be championed by the FA vice-chairman David Dein.

At Middlesbrough, the standing of the England coach Steve McClaren has been improved by progress in the Uefa Cup, though he said last night: "I haven't been approached about being interviewed for the job." The England Under-21 coach Peter Taylor, who was not returning phone calls, also comes into the reckoning, while Manchester City would not comment yesterday on whether their manager Stuart Pearce had been approached.